


The Stables

by SirensSong



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Forced Heat, M/M, Mpreg, could be seen as non-con
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-16
Updated: 2013-09-16
Packaged: 2017-12-26 18:15:40
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,664
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/968767
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SirensSong/pseuds/SirensSong
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The stable is all Merlin’s ever known, but that doesn’t mean he has to want everything the rest of the Omegas do. He wants to be loved unconditionally, to be bonded out of that love to an Alpha of his choosing, not the other way around. In short, he wants everything Prince Arthur can’t give him and nothing that he can.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Stables

**Author's Note:**

  * For [kitty_fic](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kitty_fic/gifts).



> For the most part, this was very enjoyable to write! I loved developing the idea, though I do apologize to the prompter for veering away from the idea of a slave auction. I just couldn’t make it that bad for poor Merlin. So many, many thanks to my wonderful beta, who also happens to be the glorious RP partner who loves to world-build with me and who I love dearly. I don’t think she realizes quite how much she helped me!

When it reached the time for her child to be born, she went to Camelot. She had friends there, ones who could take care of her. But carrying a baby without her Alpha present was hard, too hard, and she was frail. Had they known she was pregnant, she would have gone with him.

 _Nothing to be done_ , they told her. _Send her to the castle, maybe he can do something._

The castle. She knew the physician there; he had once been an old friend. That would work.

 _I'm sorry_ , he said. _There's little I can do. But I will try._

She fell into blackness with that promise, the promise that he would try, and the last word from her was the still unborn child's name.

She left him with the baby and his name, nothing more, with the exception of her cooling body.

But there was a reason the child's father had fled, one that his mother had not known that the physician did. The King would want to know where the child had come from, and if he found out, it would not end well for the babe. The castle was not safe. The child being an Omega like his mother, the physician did the only thing he could think of to protect the child and insure he would have a good life, be treated well and kept healthy as he had promised, and took him away.

They were referred to as stables. It was a crude name, and in many places the going-ons were just as crude, but in the city of Camelot there was one exception. It was the royal stables, and the inhabitants cared for Omega children of noble families. With the three-year-old Alpha Prince, there had been an influx of young Omegas, both males and females, brought to the stables, and it was a simple matter for him to slip the orphaned babe in with them.

There, he would be brought up with the others, seen to by the best physicians, given fine foods, be kept clean and warm and dry. It was all the physician could offer.

Of course, there was a downside. The Omegas in stables were brought up for one reason and one reason only: to provide children to the Alpha who eventually selected them. Both the Alpha Prince and many nobles would be able to choose their Omegas from among the best the kingdom could offer by visiting the royal stables. The physician knew that it was unlikely the boy he'd brought would be chosen, since his line was common and there would be those who could tell, but even if he was never selected he would have a good life. And if he was, it would be all the better for him, to have a stable home and an Alpha to care for him, children to look after. So as he walked from the stable back to the castle, it was with a light heart.

The King need never know the last Dragon Lord had borne a son, and that he would live to inherit his father's powers.

\- 18 Years Later -

" _Merlin!_ "

At the sound of his name, Merlin skidded to halt, turning to look at whoever had called him. It was Adana, one of the female Omegas in the year ahead of him, and he gave her a slightly sheepish smile.  
"You're not supposed to be running," she chastised him as she approached, to which he shrugged lightly. Some of the rules in the stable were ridiculously, like that he couldn't run and wasn't allowed to bathe by himself. He wasn't even technically supposed to be outside by himself, but it was the only time he could take the time to look.

The Omegas in the stable were never permitted to leave. The large building had a small yard, but it was fenced in and there were always guards posted to make sure no one got in or out. He was one of the only ones he'd ever known who enjoyed being in the yard, looking out over what of the city he could see. The others were content to stay inside and be pampered, for the most part. In fact, there had only ever been one other who'd understood that desire for more than the stables.

Her name had been Elena. She'd been three years above him, but she had been clumsy and silly like he was, and he had always spent a lot of time with her. For as long as he could remember, Elena had been there. She'd been chosen by an Alpha just over a year before and been taken away, and Merlin still missed her terribly. He wasn't disliked by the others, but he'd always stood out, set apart for some reason.

Adana's voice ringing out again pulled him from his thoughts.

"Sorry, what?" he asked with a sheepish smile, having missed all but the tail end of what she'd said.

"I said, they're looking for you inside. The Prince has finally agreed to select an Omega and you're in the group that's been chosen to be presented to him. He'll be here in a few hours," Adana repeated, looking at him with a hint of jealousy. He could only assume that meant she hadn't been picked as part of the group. If it had been his choice, he would gladly have given her his slot. Which, now that he considered it, was a brilliant idea.

"Hey, Ada, you should go tell them to take you instead of me. I have no interest in being part of the Prince's line-up," he said, turning back from her to looking out over the fence to the city again. He knew she was staring at him, as dumbstruck as the others were when he said he had no interest in the Prince, so there was no need to look and see.

"But he's the _Prince_ ," she said, and Merlin mimed the words after her silently, knowing what would be said from experience. "It's the best opportunity for us. To go live with the Prince and bear his children is the highest honor for any of us here. It's what we've been bred and raised for."

"No interest," he said again, waving his hand in the air to dismiss it. "Go ahead inside and tell them I've given you my slot. You're within the age-range for him, it shouldn't be a problem." Merlin heard her squeal, and then a few moments later the door to the building closed, and he sighed with relief. He didn't want to spend his life at the stable, but he also didn't want to be used for breeding purposes. All the others did, they all wanted to be taken care of and pampered and to have babies to look after, and while the idea itself wasn't exactly unfavorable to him - he was an Omega still, it was ingrained into his instincts - he wanted an Alpha he loved to be the one that bonded him. The Prince's Omega would be his mate and the bearer of his children, but nothing else. He would marry an Alpha, a female, to be his Queen, and she would have her own Omega if she desired. It would be the Prince's children that inherited his throne, though.

For a few blissful minutes, Merlin's mind wandered to leaving the stable and finding the Alpha who would love him, truly love him. He knew it wasn't that easy, that he would need protection from those Alphas who would kidnap an Omega and treat them cruelly, and that his heats were a whole other challenge, but it was still a nice dream.

He was jerked from the dream by a hand on his shoulder and startled, barely managing to contain his noise of surprise, and turned into the irritated gaze of his year's caretaker, Iollan. He was a bonded Omega with two children of his own, though neither of them lived at the stable, and though he was fond of Merlin he oftentime found his patience tried.

"You can't pawn this off on one of the others, Merlin," he said, not falling for the innocent look Merlin gave him. "No. You've only been of age to be put in presentation groups for a couple of weeks now, I know, but the Prince is a good prospect for you. You'll have room to run around at the castle, and they say he wants an Omega who can look after him or herself when he has to leave on missions. So a lot of those in respectable years aren't suitable mates for him, like Adana. You and he are probably ideal for each other."

Though he was reluctant, Merlin didn't bother fighting as Iollan dragged him inside and up to his room, where he wasn't surprised to find himself stripped of his clothing and forced into a tub of hot water. He'd never been presented before, but he knew the drill from hearing about it so many times, and even assisted a couple times when he'd been younger.

Even as he allowed himself, grudgingly, to be scrubbed down in the flowery-scented water, Merlin continued to complain. He didn't want to be presented. He didn't want to be _bought_. That rubbed him the wrong way, too, that he would be paid for like a piece of property, like some sort of slave. Which, he supposed, he technically was. A sex slave. Just one that was treated better than regular slaves, considering he had to be healthy enough to carry and nurse children.

"Go put this on," Merlin heard Iollan say suddenly, realizing he'd let his mind wander off again and gotten caught up in his thoughts. Mechanically he stood from the tub, completely unashamed of his nudity, and felt the younger Omega that had been helping Iollan begin running a towel over his body. Still partway lost in thought, he reached for the garment being held out to him, but immediately balked once it was in his hands.

"What is this?" he asked, staring at the thing he was holding. It wasn't even proper clothing, just a soft piece of fabric that stretched when he pulled it. No doubt it would cling to his body once he put it on. "Surely I'm not supposed to be meeting the Prince in _this_?! It's indecent!"

"You're going to be judged by more than your fertility today, Merlin," Iollan said, a long-suffering sigh accompanying the words. Merlin had no doubt it was because he had to argue with just about everything. "The Prince, and the whole royal line, really, is made up of powerful and beautiful Alphas and Omegas. The Prince will be looking for an Omega he finds attractive, as shallow as that seems. And while of course I want all the Omegas in my care to find a suitable Alpha, I do believe you are the best suited for our Prince and will be making a point to show you off."

A little stricken by the praise - all Omegas were pretty to an extent, but Merlin had never thought of himself as exceptionally attractive, what with his untamable hair and big ears - for once, Merlin was quiet. Without further protest, he pulled on the skimpy fabric, which clung to his hips just as he'd expected it to. It was just shorts, nothing more, and he knew as soon as he stepped from the confines of his room he'd feel terribly exposed; they hid absolutely nothing. And knowing that Iollan was going to showcase him _specifically_... Well, it wasn't doing anything for his sudden nerves.

He remained more or less quiet for the preparation, which required a lot of pulling at his hair to try and make it into something acceptable and some sort of cream being rubbed into much of skin to 'make it softer'.

After that, there wasn't time to protest. It was a flurry of movement as he was ushered out of his room, down a few hallways, and into a large room he had never been in before. He knew it what it was, though, had heard plenty about it. There will an enormous amount of pillows on the floor and drapes on the wall, and for the first time in his life he wondered if the Alphas were allowed to sample the Omegas presented to them before deciding and purchasing one. If that was the case, he didn't care what Iollan said or how many older Omegas tried to force him to stay, he was turning around and walking back to his room and not coming out until after the Prince had taken his Omega and left. The only thing that kept him from doing it anyway was the fact that he knew plenty of people who'd been presented before, sometimes on multiple occasions, and no one had ever mentioned anything even close to that.

There was a small group of Omegas already situated in the room, sitting in a circle and chatting in the middle of the floor and looking totally at ease, but as Iollan nudged him over toward them he couldn't help but notice he was the only one from his year. There were two, a boy and a girl, from the year above him, one girl from the year above that, and one boy and three girls from three years above him, which would be the Prince's age. "You're the last one to arrive, go sit with the others," Iollan continued to press, and with a dark look over his shoulder at his caretaker, he went to go sit with them. With as large as the stable was, he only knew two of them, the boy from the year above him and the girl from two years above him.

The three caretakers of the other years were all there as well, and once Merlin was situated Iollan joined them at the side of the room, the four of them talking quietly together. Despite a few initial efforts to draw him into the conversation, Merlin's attention remained on the caretakers, who seemed to glance over at the group - or, he thought, more specifically him - every few minutes. Eventually, Iollan ducked his head in agreement and walked out the door they had been standing by, closing it behind himself.

"I bet he's gone to bring in the Prince," one of the older girls said. The others all relaxed some and smiled excitedly to each other, but Merlin stiffened instead and let himself slouch down, shoulders curling in. The others were all dressed in similar shorts, the girls having been given an extra band of fabric for their chests, but he still felt exposed. Even the thought of the Prince - or anyone - seeing him like he was made embarrassment curl in his stomach and heat rise to his cheeks.

Of course, that was the moment when the door opened again, and when Merlin looked over expecting to see Iollan looking back at him, instead he met the gaze of Camelot's Alpha Prince.

No unbonded Alpha had ever entered the stables for any reason other than to look at the chosen Omegas brought to them. Never were they allowed to roam freely among the halls, and since Omegas were never let out, none of them had ever been around an unbonded Alpha before.

The sight of the Prince alone was striking enough, with the way he carried himself, but it was his scent that hit Merlin the hardest. There was all sorts of speculation of the way Alphas smelled, thanks to the gossip of those who had been presented before but returned to the stable, but Merlin had never put any stock in what they said. He'd always assumed it was some kind of fanaticism, since so many he knew thought only of when an Alpha would finally choose them. Now, though, he realized how terribly wrong he'd been. The Alpha-scent might as well have been a solid wall for how hard it hit him; for the first time in his life, he wanted what the others spoke of, to lie down at the Alpha's feet and beg and plead for it to be him, please him, if only so he could keep smelling the combination of metal and spice.

Thankfully, he snapped from the initial stupor quickly as Iollan followed the Prince into the room. Iollan planned for the Prince to choose him, he remembered, and once again he found himself wanting to stay quiet and make himself small. He didn't want to be chosen. The Prince's Omega, he imagined, would be shoved away in a small room and used for breeding only. He'd never have a chance at actually finding someone who loved him and genuinely wanted a family with him if he was chosen.

He wasn't the first to be addressed. On the way to the room he'd been told what to do when he was called up to greet the Prince, but he'd been so overwhelmed, he didn't remember any of it. The caretaker of the year three ahead of him, the oldest group, was calling up her Omegas first, one by one. At the call of their names, they stood and either bowed or curtsied to the Prince, though it looked a bit ridiculous on the girls in just their tight shorts. There were a few words exchanged, a few minutes of chatting, before the Omega returned and the next was called down. They went backwards from older to youngest, so by the time Iollan stepped up closer to the Prince again and called Merlin to him, he was thrumming with nerves and the desire to just get out. Even so, he stood and walked up to stand at Iollan's side, doing his best to bow appropriately once he had.

"This is Merlin," Iollan started, and Merlin turned his eyes down, not really wanting to hear his caretaker expound on him and his 'virtues'. "He's the youngest of the group; turned eighteen just a couple weeks ago. Normally we don't consider many Omegas his age and only put them in presentation groups to help get them used to being around Alphas, but his case is different. You asked us to pick out independent Omegas who would be able to mind themselves if you had to leave them at the castle for longer periods of time, and he's probably the most suited Omega for that we have in the stable." Iollan paused here, laying a hand on Merlin's bare shoulder and squeezing in what was probably meant to be a reassuring gesture. It only caused Merlin to fidget, though, since with the older Omega's hand there he felt like he was being forced to stay in place. "We've had him tested for fertility, of course, and he's always been healthy, nothing more than the occasional cold. All eight of these Omegas would be well-suited to be your mate, Prince Arthur, but if you'd like the opinion of myself and the other three caretakers, we believe Merlin to be your best option, even if he can be a bit headstrong at times."

For a few moments it was quiet, no response from the Prince, and Merlin continued to look at the ground, twisting his fingers together behind his back. "Headstrong?" he heard the Prince finally say, and then there were fingers under his chin, tilting his head up and side to side, a calculating blue gaze studying him. "I don't believe I've ever met a headstrong Omega before. What exactly do you mean?"

The detached tone of voice and the way he was being judged like some product to be bought was too much for Merlin, even though that was technically what he was, and he jerked his chin out of the Prince's grasp to glare hard at him. "Address me while I'm standing right in front you rather than talking about me like I don't understand what's being said," he snapped, ignoring Iollan's sigh and mutter that he was breaking his promise to behave - which for the record, he didn't recall making.

"That's what I mean," Iollan said, his hand moving to the back of Merlin's neck to pull him back a step, since he'd almost unconsciously stepped forward. Merlin continued to glare at the Prince, though, and he watched as his expression gradually changed, started shocked at the outburst and turning darker. He would not let himself be cowed, would not back down, but as the Prince seemed to draw himself up to his full height, Merlin's instincts screamed for him to shrink down, apologize, grovel even. Not that he was going to let that affect him, and as Iollan opened his mouth and continued, "I can promise you, Prince Arthur, he'll behave himself if you'd just consider him-"

"I will not!" Merlin hissed, turning on his caretaker this time, his teeth snapping loudly as he spoke. Regardless of how the prince viewed him, or how anyone else viewed him, he would not be treated as nothing more than something to be bought and paid for, a possession. Not when he had a mind of his own. Of course, he would welcome the advances of an Alpha, especially those of an Alpha Prince, but only if he were treated as a person. "I refuse to be nothing more than- than _merchandise_. I have thoughts, I have feelings, and I have a personality. Omega or not. I'm not a- a _thing_." The last part was all but spat at the Prince, and to Merlin's amazement, after a few moments of shocked silence from everyone in the room - he hadn't exactly been quiet - the Prince actually started to laugh.

It was the last reaction Merlin had expected. He'd expected to be slapped, for the Prince to dismiss him with a cool glare, even to turn on his heel and walk out, refuse any Omega. Instead, the hand that had held his chin was back, except this time on his cheek, and rather than holding him steady it was almost some sort of caress, like he was being felt.

"You've got some fire in you, haven't you?" the Prince said. He was looking at and speaking directly to Merlin this time, though, so he didn’t immediately snap in reply. Instead he tilted his chin up and held firm, still glaring, and it drew another chuckle from the Alpha. Just as before, the expected reprimand never came, and instead the hand ghosting over his cheek landed heavy and - possessive? - on his shoulder, tugging him toward the Prince. Arthur's attention was back on Iollan now, though, who looked as shocked as Merlin felt. "How much for him then, Iollan?" he continued, and Merlin could only hear him now, since his back had been pulled flush against the Prince's chest, one of his arms wrapped around his shoulders in obvious ownership. Had he not been distracted by his confusion, that no doubt would have riled him further.

"For you, my Prince," Iollan said after a few minutes of awkward silence, and even then he stumbled over the words a bit, "Whatever you see fit for him. Merlin, go pack your things while I finalize everything with Prince Arthur," he continued, seeming to collect himself, his confident air back around him as he looked from the Prince to Merlin. After another beat Arthur’s arm dropped from around Merlin's shoulders and Merlin wasted no time in darting away, standing half behind Iollan and looking with wide eyes at the Prince.

"I don't want to go," he said quietly, almost whining, though he wouldn't admit it. "Iollan, don't make me go. Don't. This is- I've never been anywhere else. I've never left the stables. I don't want to." The last was a dirty, dirty lie, and he knew they both knew it, considering he'd begged and pleaded to be taken out of the stables many a time in the past.

"Go start packing," Iollan repeated, though his voice was more gentle this time. "Just let me finalize everything with Prince Arthur, and then I'll be there to help you."

Taking notice for the first time the fierce glares the other Omegas in the room were levelling at him, Merlin took his opportunity, turned and all but fled the room. It was simple enough to backtrack from the presentation room to a familiar place in the building, and head to his room from there. Once the door was closed behind him, he stood for a few moments, looking around the room that had always been his, that he'd grown up in. Now he'd have to collect a bag or two of things - not that there was much more than that, mostly just clothes and a few books - and leave. He knew from when others had left, too, that he wouldn't have a chance to speak to any of his friends before he was carted away to be the Prince's... Broodmare.

For a moment, and a moment only, the thought warmed him thanks to his instincts. After, though, it was hot rage that swept through him. The Prince would take him away, lock him in some room, bond him, and breed him. And that would be his life, no doubt. He wasn't foolish, and unlike so many others, he had always seen through the lightened way their caretakers would describe how they would live after being taken away from the stables.

Even though he hated it, he knew he had no choice. He'd tried to slip from the stables enough times to know it was useless, especially since Iollan would certainly be alerting the others to look out for him in case he tried something. Knowing there was nothing else for it, he started ripping clothing out of his wardrobe, throwing it on the bed and floor carelessly, wishing he had something to tear apart.  
It was all too soon when the door opened and Iollan appeared, silently beginning to gather the clothes strewn all over the little room. He packed in silence while Merlin tore up the room, making the job of his caretaker that much harder, not that he cared. Eventually Merlin was changed into proper clothes and everything else was packed, everything Merlin really owned, the bags were slung over Iollan's back. "Come on, Merlin," he said, and his energy gone, Merlin slunk after him.

"Do you want to know how much he paid?" The older man asked eventually as he walked toward the entrance of the stables.

"No," Merlin snapped immediately, no interest in knowing whether or not he was expensive merchandise. Iollan made no other attempt at conversation until they walked out the door, and Merlin's eyes immediately went to the Prince, standing outside the fence, holding the reins of a black stallion that was impatiently pawing at the ground. Without even the chance to dig his heels into the ground or run back inside, Merlin found himself ushered out the gate for the first time in his life, pressed into the Prince's waiting arms.

Everything after that happened quickly. Obviously the money had already been exchanged, since there was no passing from one to another now, just the securing of Merlin's bags to the saddle. A few quiet words passed between Iollan and the Prince, and Merlin was almost sure he caught, 'You're absolutely sure he's fertile' and the answer, 'Yes, absolutely, all our Omegas are tested and Merlin is exceptionally fertile' but he wouldn't have placed money on it. Everything was a bit lost in passing as he suddenly felt himself lifted up by strong hands, placed awkwardly into the horse's saddle. He'd never been on one before, so he scrambled to grab on the mane to hold on, hunching low over the horse's neck. That was all counteracted a few minutes later, though, when suddenly there was a firm chest pressing against his back, an arm wrapping securely around his waist to hold him steady.

"You're all right. I won't let you fall," the Prince's silken voice came in his ear, and despite himself Merlin growled at it, only barely resisting the urge to snap his teeth again.

Like everything else in the past few minutes, the short ride up to the castle was nothing more than a blur to Merlin. He'd been all right with the horse at a walk, even at the trot it kept for a few paces, but once it set into a canter Merlin couldn't help pressing back into the Prince's chest, gripping at the arm around his waist with both hands.

It was only when the stallion was slowed to a walk again, near the castle courtyard, that Merlin gathered his bearings enough to look around. Somehow he doubted he'd be allowed outside the castle again, after all, and looking through windows only did so much for him.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" the Prince's voice came in his ear again, and Merlin stubbornly looked straight ahead in reply, prompting an infuriating laugh from the Alpha. "Oh yes, definitely a fire in you," he continued, as if intent on filling the silence for both of them since Merlin refused to speak to him. "That's good, though. I can't have some simpering, weak-minded Omega bringing up my children, now can I? I've been assured you're quick as a whip, too, which I'm sure I'll see for myself once you deign to speak to me."

After that, Merlin blocked out his voice to the best of his ability, focussing instead on taking in everything around him. He didn't actually care what the Prince who bought him thought, but he'd always wanted to see more of the kingdom. And the people that saw them seemed more than happy to stare back, though he couldn't understand why. He'd have thought their gazes were on the Prince if he hadn't made direct eye contact with several. Why bother looking at him, though, when he wouldn't be seen again once he entered the castle? Sure, he would carry and raise the Prince's children, but it wasn't as if he would get any credit for it or hold any real position in the monarchy. He was... He was nothing more than a convenient vessel to carry children.

That thought got to him more and more as he was eventually lifted from the saddle and set back on his feet, led into the castle and through twisting corridors, up flights of stairs. By the time the Prince announced, "These are my chambers. And yours, now, too," Merlin had let himself wallow in that thought enough that he wanted to withdraw from everything and merely stood near the door where he'd been left, staring at the floor.

He wouldn't admit it, but he was afraid.

This would be his life now. He was used to be confined, of course, never allowed to leave the stables. But he'd also had the run of the stables, plenty of other Omegas to talk to, chores to complete, younger Omegas to care for. There had always been something to do. He couldn't imagine he'd ever leave the set of rooms that made up the Prince's chambers again, or that he'd be allowed to see anyone else except maybe the occasional servant.

"Merlin, here."

The words interrupted his thoughts, and despite himself Merlin looked up, dragging his feet to follow the Prince as he led him through an arched doorway. There was huge canopy bed and a large wardrobe, and for a moment, Merlin wondered if the bed was comfortable - if the bed was comfortable, he would at least be able to sleep away the misery, and it would be good when he was pregnant, with room to stretch out and make himself as comfortable as possible. But then the prince opened a door that was a few feet away from the bed, motioning to Merlin again, and that hope of at least being comfortable died when Merlin saw the room.

"This is the antechamber of my bedchamber," the Prince was saying, and Merlin could only stare at the floor again, all the fire in him seemingly sapped away. He couldn't even bring himself to glare at his imprisoner now. "It'll be where you sleep. Normally it'd be for my manservant, but I think it's better suited to you."

Merlin didn't raise his eyes and didn't speak. There was no point. He had no say in any of this anyway. He was bought and paid for and now he was nothing more than someone who could be bred. He could feel the air between them grow awkward, though, the Prince having obviously expected a response to that at least. He'd be waiting for a long time.

Eventually he seemed to give up, since Merlin heard a sigh, and then he spoke again. "I need to go speak with my father, and when I come back I'll have Camelot's physician with me. He'll look you over, make sure everything is order, and then..." He trailed off, but Merlin didn't need him to continue to know what he wasn't saying. Then, when everything was in order, he would be given a tincture that would force his heat to come early, allow the Prince to bond and impregnate him.

Despite himself, something stirred in Merlin at that. He couldn't help but look forward to not having to spend his heats miserable and without an Alpha to tend him. That part he knew would be good. And he looked forward to the children, as well, as long as he was allowed to raise them. Going off of what the Prince had said earlier, it sounded like he would be allowed to raise them. He just didn't look forward to being cooped up and mated to an Alpha that wasn't in love with him, and who he wasn't in love with.  
None of that meant he was going to smile and be cheerful. If the Prince expected him to be talkative or to simper and whine like the others would have, he was in for an unpleasant surprise.

When he still didn't gain a reply, the Prince sighed again and turned on his heel, resting a hand on Merlin's shoulder for a moment before walking away, back into the main chambers and out the big double doors.

Merlin was intrigued to see that they opened easily when he tested them after a few moments. Either the Prince didn't expect him to try and run, or he was confident that even if he did, he wouldn't be successful.

Assuming it was the second, Merlin let the doors close again and turned to finally take in the Prince's chambers. He wouldn't admit to snooping, but he did, opening drawers and looking into the wardrobe and cabinets, trying to learn more about the Alpha without actually having to speak to him. When he was satisfied, he returned to the antechamber, the door of which was still open. The room was smaller than the one he'd had at the stable, though not by much, with a bed against one side with a night table next to it, a little bit of floor space, a much smaller wardrobe the the prince's against the wall parallel with the door, and a small desk against the third wall. All in all, it was about the same he'd had at the stable with a little less floor space. Although, he imagined he'd be spending much more time in this room than he had at the stable, where he was almost always out and about with someone else.

Sitting down on the bed, he grimaced at the hardness of the mattress, hoping that once he was pregnant he'd be able to whine for something softer for his sore back. Surely that wouldn't be too much to ask for. He'd only just lain down on it to assess if it was more comfortable that way where he heard the doors to the chambers open and close, startling him, and the Prince's voice accompanied by an unfamiliar one that had to belong to the physician that had been mentioned.

"Merlin?" he heard the Prince call from what sounded to be the main chamber. "Could you come out here, please?"

Grudgingly, Merlin went, though he told himself it was only because of the 'please'. At least, so far, the Prince didn't seem fond of ordering him around and being a general ass about it. Waiting in the main chamber was the Prince and an older man with white hair.

Meeting the physician's gaze, Merlin's head tilted slightly, wondering why exactly the man was giving him the look he was. For whatever reason, the man looked horrified, and Merlin could only wonder if he really looked so unsuited to be the mother of the next royals.

"This is Gaius, the court physician," the Prince was saying, and Merlin merely raised an eyebrow at him. He wasn't stupid; it had been obvious who the man was. "He'll be looking you over and making sure you're suitable to carry my children," he finished in a sharp tone, then walked to the desk at the far end of the room and sat down, beginning to read over a few pieces of parchment in an obvious dismissal.  
"Well, let's get started then, shall we? Merlin, was it?" Gaius asked after a short pause, leading him over to the table and sitting down across from him.

The questions were involved and never ending. They must have sat there at least an hour and a half, and at least a quarter of the things asked Merlin didn't actually know the answers to, telling Gaius he would have to go to the stable and talk to Iollan. He was the one that had all that information. Had Merlin known he was going to be drilled about his health going back to when he'd been small, his heat cycles, if there was any illness in his family, and a number of other things, he'd have paid more attention to when Iollan talked about him to other people.

Even with how much he didn't know, though, he apparently still passed the test, as eventually Gaius called Arthur's name and nodded, before setting down a little glass vial on the table in front of Merlin. "Drink this," he instructed, seeming suddenly much, much older than he had when he'd first entered the chambers with the Prince. "As I assume you already suspect, it will force your heat to come early. It's imperative that Arthur bond you as soon as possible."

“Why?” Merlin asked immediately, looking to delay the inevitable as long as possible. He didn’t get much chance, though, because a heavy hand that was definitely not Gaius’ fell on his shoulder, thumb brushing against the back of his neck and sending a shudder down his spine.

“Now’s not the time for questions, little Omega,” the Prince was saying, and Merlin wasn’t even sure when he’d moved from the desk. “Come now, drink what Gaius gave you. It won’t be long before you’ll start to enjoy it.”

A growl rising in his throat, Merlin spun around and snapped his teeth at the Prince, though he did pick up the vial in his free hand. There wasn’t really a way to avoid it, despite the fact that the Prince’s smug smirk made him want to smash it on the floor. Instead, he glared at the Alpha and held his gaze, not taking notice as Gaius stood and slipped away, the door locking behind him. Continuing to glare, Merlin uncorked the vial and brought it to his lips and downed it in one go. He brought his arm back and threw the vial directly at the Prince once it was empty, out of spite if nothing else, and satisfaction curled in his gut when it hit high on the Alpha’s chest, shattering against the floor a moment later.

“Good. It was that fire in you that drew me to you,” the Prince reminded, his smile growing, and Merlin cursed himself for forgetting that for a moment. He’d been trying to avoid showing the Prince that side of him, he remembered now. And all he’d done was attract the Alpha to him more. Carefully, he let his features slip to as close to blank as he could get them, and watched with some satisfaction as the Prince’s smirk faltered a little.

The hand on his neck was still there, though, and then there were two, curling on either side, pulling him gently from the chair onto his feet and toward the bed. The contents of the vial hadn’t started to kick in yet, but he doubted it would be long before they did and went to the bed easily.

Of course, the Prince had to surprise him once again, pausing when Merlin was backed up to the bed. “If you can honestly tell me you have no desire for this position or me whatsoever, I will bring you back to the stables and pick someone else,” he said, the words whispered quietly, directly into Merlin’s ear.

It was obvious what he was doing. Acting like Merlin had a choice in any of this. It had the desired effect, though, because the Prince was strong and dominant and even the illusion of having a choice in all of this was enough to make Merlin see how very appealing the Alpha so close to pushing him down onto the bed was. And it wasn’t his hormones talking, because the heat-inducer had still yet to cause any effect. Any children sired by this Alpha would be strong and healthy, and fuck, he smelled so good, and maybe the heat-inducer was starting to have an effect any all…

“Please,” he said, instead of what he’d opened his mouth to say, and he could only watch as the touch of unsureness faded from the Prince’s captivating blue gaze, replaced with something Merlin couldn’t quite place.

“I thought so,” the Prince said, and then Merlin was finally pushed back, the bed blissfully soft underneath him.

Feeling the heat-inducer really start to kick in was nothing like entering into normal heat. A normal heat was a slow build, an ache in his stomach and thighs that gradually spread, an arousal that built over a period of several hours. This was nothing like that, this was his body feeling like it had been set on fire suddenly, his entire being seeming to call out to the Alpha in the room. And the Prince responded eagerly, setting on top of him, and his weight felt so good, more blissful even than the bed underneath him.

He didn’t realize he was making noise, low keening in his throat, until the Prince was hushing him, large, warm hands sliding up under his tunic, moving up his stomach to his chest, rubbing up and down a few times before settling on playing with his nipples. Without his permission, Merlin’s body arched up into the hands.

“Darling, darling,” Arthur was saying, his tongue hot and wet where he lapped at Merlin’s neck, his jaw, the sensitive spot below his ear. Between Arthur’s mouth and his hands, Merlin was entirely lost, unable to do anything but give into the sudden heat and the scent of Alpha and the touches.

Suddenly, it seemed, he was undressed, and Arthur was as well, and when had that even happened? He didn’t care, not when the friction of skin on skin, dragging and catching, was too perfect to describe. For once he couldn’t bring himself to be embarrassed about how slick he was becoming so quickly, especially not when Arthur noticed it as well, the Alpha beginning to shift his way down Merlin’s body.  
Whining at the loss of contact and sudden chill on his chest, Merlin reached down, burying his fingers in Arthur’s soft hair. It was like silk between his fingers, though that was likely because of how hyper sensitized he was to everything. He didn’t fight as calloused hands slid between his thighs and urged his legs apart, Arthur’s body settling in the space between them, and then-

He couldn’t do more than arch his body and keen, the noise high pitched, at the swipe of tongue between his cheeks, right over his leaking entrance. Omegas in the stables weren’t allowed to experiment with each other, and though some snuck around and did anyway, Merlin had never been one of them. The touch of anything but his own fingers was completely foreign, but now he was wondering how he’d ever managed on his own. Having someone else to touch and lick and kiss – all three of which Arthur was doing – felt so good, like Merlin had never been able to make himself feel.  
It wasn’t long before the lapping tongue and sucking mouth were joined and then replaced by fingers, and Merlin heard Arthur groan, low and sultry. “Fuck,” Arthur said, and Merlin let his head drop back onto the pillows. “You taste- fucking fantastic, Merlin. And you’re, gods, beautiful.”

Merlin would have protested that there was no way any of that was true, but before he gathered his thoughts together enough to speak and get it all out, Arthur had shifted up again, fingers of one hand still pressed inside him, and kissed him rather soundly. Licking the taste of himself off Arthur’s tongue and the roof of his mouth, Merlin groaned, having to admit that when it was mixed with Arthur, he tasted rather fantastic.

“Arthur,” he mumbled when the kiss broke, saying the other’s name for the first time. It felt right rolling off his tongue, and he had to wonder why he’d ever had any reservations about this. Arthur was perfect, wonderful, the scent and feel of him so completely overwhelming and lovely. Tilting his head to give the Alpha more room to suck at the underside of his jaw, he rolled his hips down onto the fingers inside him, longing for something more substantial and arching when something glorious in him was touched.

Seeming to recognize the reaction, Arthur touched the spot again, rubbing at it when it produced the same reaction again. Merlin could feel him grinning against his skin now, gathering the mind to unlock one hand from his hair in order to swat at the back of his head and draw a laugh from the Alpha. This felt good, suddenly, easy, and despite knowing it was likely just the sudden onset of his heat, Merlin was looking forward to it. If Arthur would just get a move on now, everything would be perfect.

Somehow the Alpha seemed to sense the silent plea, withdrawing his fingers and drawing a whine from Merlin at the sudden emptiness where he had been so torturously filled before. But Arthur’s lips touched his own again and suddenly he couldn’t mourn the loss of his fingers anymore because there was something so much bigger, so much better, pressing at his entrance.

Breaking the kiss in order to throw his head back, Merlin panted for a few moments, ‘yes’ falling from his lips with each outward breath as he felt Arthur slowly press in, focusing only on that. The way he was filled was delicious, none of the pain he had always expected to accompany it to be found, though he figured that was due largely in part to his heat. All he felt was the wonderful slide and slight fiction, and above all that, the pressure from every direction. Clenching down only made it all the more wonderful, as well as drawing the groan from the Alpha and a hitch of his hips – both good enough to get Merlin to do it again.

When Arthur was pressed flush against him Merlin squirmed in his arms, still pressing down, trying to get more even though there was no more to get, raking his fingers down the Alpha’s back. “Fucking move!” he hissed, a swell of satisfaction building in his chest as he watched Arthur’s expression turn shocked, then smug, like he had known all along the Omega he had chosen would be demanding in bed. And with how Merlin had acted, he probably had known.

He obliged anyway, beginning to roll his hips, leisurely at first and building in speed and urgency within a few long minutes. Neither of them were going to last long, that much was obvious, but as the mating that would bond them and the first of many, it was only expected.

If Merlin had thought being filled was pleasant, it was nothing compared to what came after, the constant deep thrusts that caused him to feel like he was being touched in the deepest regions of his body. That was another thing he wouldn’t have expected to feel good at all that was actually far beyond simply pleasant.

Both too soon and not soon enough, Arthur’s thrusts stuttered to a stop, his hips simply pressing up tight against Merlin’s. When he understood why, Merlin cried out, digging his nails into Arthur’s shoulders as he felt the pressure just inside his rim double, triple even, and then continue expanding as his knot swelled to lock them together. There was a twinge of pain there, but it was gone as soon as it came, washed away by hormones and the aphrodisiac of his own and Arthur’s scents. He could tell they were mingling now, that he would carry the sharp tang of the Alpha’s scent on himself for the rest of his life, and right then he couldn’t say he minded. He would smell like Arthur. That thought alone was enough to make him cry out, along with the knot finally locking securely, back arching as his release washed over him.

Arthur had latched onto his neck, worrying a dark mark onto the base as his own orgasm pulsed with the rocking of his hips. That seemed to go on forever, the deep, rhythmic pulsing inside of him, warmth from Arthur’s – his mate’s – release filling him further each time. He could easily have drifted off like that, to the lull of it, despite the achingly good pressure at his entrance that still had him half-hard and wanting more. For a few long minutes, he didn’t even notice the evidence of his own release cooling on his stomach, and the only thing that brought his attention to it was Arthur’s fingers trailing through it.  
“Gross,” he commented quietly, though he still felt light in the high, not having come down from everything. “Don’t play with it, Arthur, it’s-” He cut himself off as he watched Arthur bring his fingers to his mouth and lick and suck the fluids off his fingers, the display obscene and more than enough to for Merlin to become fully hard once again. “Oh, fuck,” he breathed, reaching down to wrap a hand around himself, intending to tug himself off again. His hand was swatted away, though, caught in a strong grip and pressed to the pillow next to his head.

“I don’t think you need to touch there, do you?” Arthur asked, his voice sultry, as he swiveled his hips and caused his knot to catch and press against the one spot, the one he had been teasing with his fingers earlier. “No, you don’t. You have everything you need already,” he continued n a smug voice as Merlin bucked in his grip.

Arthur continued to move his hips in the same fashion, and before Merlin even knew what was happening, he was coming again, clenching down hard and adding to the mess already on his stomach. It was apparently enough stimulation for Arthur as well, since the Alpha groaned and bit down at the junction of his neck and shoulder almost hard enough to draw blood as he had his own second orgasm.  
It would be a while before his knot went down, Merlin knew, so he finally let his eyes close, panting even more heavily than he had been earlier. He couldn’t take in breath quickly enough, it seemed, but it was worth every bit of it, his own and Arthur’s mixed scents washing over the receptors on the roof of his mouth. That was calming all by itself, and though he could feel Arthur’s fingers gliding through the come on his stomach, he didn’t open his eyes, able to tell just by the sucking sounds what was going on. His heat had ebbed away for now, and all he wanted was to sleep, so he let Arthur do as he wanted. It wasn’t too long before he felt the Alpha settled down as well, though, Merlin whining as arms were slid under him and he was pulled onto his side. It tugged at where they were connected, which was both pleasurable and slightly painful. Merlin couldn’t deny that he liked the new position, though, able to snuggle against the Alpha’s chest so easily, be wrapped up in his arms.

And the blankets pulled up over them were absolutely heavenly. The silk felt so good against his bare skin, better than anything else ever had, smooth and cool. Between that and Arthur’s solid presence, making him feel safe and loved, it wasn’t very long before Merlin was fast asleep.

The rest of his heat, lasting roughly four days, passed in a haze that he wouldn’t remember much of later. Most of what he did remember was more the memory of what things had felt like than anything else. Sometimes, between the onset of the need to be knotted, Arthur would simply lie at Merlin’s side and talk to him in low tones. Each time the heat faded, though, Merlin turned inward, was not forthcoming, spoke little. He was still a prisoner, all but mated against his will, and he had very few doubts that the result of his heat was already starting to develop low in his stomach.

So he was quiet between the waves of need. And he could tell Arthur was trying, alternating between coaxing and teasing, to get him to come out of his shell a little bit. It wasn’t working, though. If Merlin had his way, it never would work.

The only time he ever spoke Arthur’s name was in the throes of his heat.

\---

The view from the Prince’s chambers was wonderful. The large, high windows looked out over the training field where Arthur worked with the knights. Merlin had made himself at home in one of those windows, the sill more than large enough for him to sit. Every morning, once Arthur left and he deemed it safe enough to come out of the little room where he spent the nights, he would take the fur blanket from Arthur’s bed and wrap himself in it, before climbing up to sit in the window, look down and watch the training. It was interesting to watch the Alphas spar, though Merlin tried to keep his gaze off of Arthur.

Despite himself, he found his gaze going to the Alpha he was mated to more often than not.

He was helpless to fight it. With Arthur’s babe growing in his belly, his body called to the Alpha, yearned for him, even when his mind did not. Close contact was necessary to keep healthy, though, and the farther along he got, the more time spent in close quarters with Arthur was necessary.

As the months stretched on, Merlin could see Arthur slowly start to give up on having a real relationship with him, and the times when he would lay curled around Merlin’s back with his hands petting his swollen stomach grew quiet, Arthur no longer bothering to talk at all.

Six months in, Merlin had started to think maybe he had won, and that after the babe was born Arthur would let him go. He doubted it, but the Alpha seemed to have no more interest in anything but the unborn baby.

For reasons he couldn’t place, that stung Merlin more than anything else. The Alpha was still doting, still brought him everything and anything he asked for and more, but he knew it wasn’t really for him.

The silence had grown almost comfortable when Arthur had to break it, once day, not a week after Merlin had finally relaxed into the silence between them.

“Why is it you hate me so much?”

The Prince’s voice was soft and small, like Merlin had never heard it before. He resisted for a few minutes, but Arthur had sounded so timid, almost childish in the insecurity there, and Merlin wondered if there was more going through the Alpha’s mind than he knew. He caved and answered, though it took another few moments of silence for him to formulate a response.

“You purchase me as if I am nothing but merchandise, which I suppose I am to you, use me as a broodmare, lock me in your chambers, and expect me not to hate you for it?”

For a long while, Merlin didn’t know how long, there was silence again. It was long enough he let himself believe Arthur was going to drop it. Eventually, though, the Prince did speak again.

“I am sorry,” he said quietly, almost whispered the words, his lips brushing the back of Merlin’s neck as he spoke. “I know you probably won’t believe me, but I had as little choice in this as you. It was pick a mate or have one picked for me, and I could not leave that decision to my father. I had to have an Omega I could trust with my children, to raise them right, an Omega I could grow to love, truly love, and one who could grow to love me in the same way.”

“You picked the wrong Omega,” Merlin snapped, and it fell silent again, though this time, neither of them broke it.

\---

After that, Merlin believed Arthur to have really, truly given up. He continued in the same way about certain things, making sure Merlin ate healthy, tending to him whenever something hurt, fetching whatever he asked for from Gaius or the kitchens. Eventually he moved into Arthur’s bed every night, once he started waking with pains in his stomach that eased only when he lay in Arthur’s arms.  
Once in a while, Arthur would start a conversation, though it always ended quickly.

\---

“You aren’t a prisoner here, you know.”

“Aren’t I?”

“No.”

“Then let me leave.”

“I can’t do that.”

“Which makes me a prisoner.”

\---

“Is there anything I can do to make you give me a chance?”

“Allow me to leave.”

“Merlin-”

“Don’t bother.”

\---

“What would you have wanted for yourself, if you could pick your future?”

“A mate who loved me above all else. One who would let me roam, let me be outside, wouldn’t attempt to control me, and who would be willing to roll in the dirt with our children without a care for image.”

“You can have all that with me.”

“Now’s not the time for jokes or cruel lies, my Prince.”

“I love you.”

“You may love the child inside me, but you don’t love me.”

\---

It didn’t happen until the final month of Merlin’s pregnancy. Arthur had been especially broody the past couple days, as if trying to puzzle through something, and that day when he swept into his chambers – Merlin refused to think of them as theirs – he was grinning. It was an expression Merlin had only seen very fleetingly before, when Arthur thought something he had planned might make Merlin give him a second glance, but it was always gone quickly when he didn’t get the desired response.

“You always mention wanting to be outside during our brief conversations,” he stated plainly, and Merlin looked at him from where he was laying on the Prince’s bed, half-dozing, how he spent most of his time now. His belly was too large for much more, and since he refused any help from Arthur, even walking around the bedchamber was a little difficult.

“Yes,” he answered warily, looking at Arthur through narrowed eyes, though his hands didn’t stop their restless moving over his stomach. Regardless of who the baby’s father was, it was still Merlin’s as well, and he intended to give it every ounce of love he had, and since the kicking and moving had started he hadn’t been able to keep his hands away. He certainly couldn’t trust Arthur to love the baby, after all. The spoiled, arrogant Prince probably wasn’t even capable of true love, not beyond something paternal.

“Well, come on,” Arthur continued, and surprisingly enough, his bright grin hadn’t faltered. He really was incredibly handsome, especially when he was grinning like that, Merlin had to admit. If only he hadn’t been the Prince. “Technically, you’re supposed to stay here away from the public, some nonsense about it being in bad taste to have the mother of my children out and about. But I spoke with Gaius. He says it will be good for you to be outside, I know you want to be outside, and Gaius agreed to keep my father occupied for a few hours every day so he won’t notice. I just wish I’d arranged all this earlier in your pregnancy,” he finished, and at that, his smile dwindled a little.

Having expected anything but what had just come out of the Prince’s mouth, Merlin didn’t say anything for a few moments, instead struggling to sit up. Arthur was at his side in an instant, helping him to sit before starting to stroke a hand over his dark hair. He still hadn’t said anything in response, and it was for the same shock factor that he let Arthur continue to all but pet him when normally he would have brushed his hand away in irritation.

At Merlin’s lack of response, Arthur’s smile widened again. “Come on, then. Don’t bother trying to put on proper clothes; wear whatever’s comfortable. There are still a few knights out on the training field, but they won’t care. I know you used to watch when you could still get up on the window sill. I’ll bring out a blanket and you can sit under a tree on the edge of the field. Sound good?”

Merlin had never heard Arthur talk so fast or so excitedly, and all he could do was nod in reply, words still stuck in his throat. He was also more than a little shocked that apparently Arthur paid attention to him enough to note things like where he had preferred to sit before it became too difficult for him to get up, thanks to his stomach, or the recurring things that had come up in the few conversations they had.

Before he could even fully process it, Arthur was helping him into a pair of slippers and to his feet, a thick blanket draped over his arm. The door was pulled open, and while he had been out in the hallway of Arthur’s chambers plenty of times to make trips down to Gaius’, he had never been led the way they went now. Down a set of stairs just by Arthur’s chamber and out a door onto the field he had only ever looked down on from the window. The training field, with all sorts of weapons and armor lying around, a few Alpha knights still sparring out of the field. If not for the knowledge that he smelled of Arthur, he would have been nervous for himself and his child at the sight of so many Alphas.

Without thinking about it, Merlin reached out a grabbed Arthur’s arm, his grip tight. Arthur was the only Alpha he’s ever come into contact with, and to suddenly be swamped with the scents of so many, especially so far into his pregnancy, was more than a little overwhelming. The action pulled a small chuckle from Arthur, though, and he slipped a securing arm around Merlin’s back, tucking him protectively into his side.

The blanket, as promised, was spread out under a tree on the edge of the field, close to the center where the knights outside were sparring together. A few called out to Arthur, goading him to come join them again, but he merely waved them off and helped Merlin to settled on the blanket, his back up against the tree. The air was cool and refreshing, as it usually was in mid-spring, even with the taint of so many Alphas. Surprisingly, Arthur didn’t rejoin his knights, but instead settled on the blanket at Merlin’s side and leaned back, watching the field with a small, satisfied smile, no doubt happy that he’d finally done something right.

Though he was happy about being allowed outside, Merlin was still wary of why Arthur had suddenly decided to bring him out. Resting his hands on his stomach and unable to help his smile as the baby responded to his touch, he finally turned to look at Arthur.

“Why are you doing this?” he asked quietly, hating that there was an edge of vulnerability to his voice he couldn’t quite erase.

“I want you to be happy,” Arthur answered without missing a beat, as if it was the most natural thing in the world. “I know you think I’m some sort of monster, but I’m really not. If there was another way for me to take a mate, one that involved falling in love first and foremost, or at the very least getting to know an Omega and asking them to be my mate, I would have taken it. I’m afraid I wasn’t given an option.” He paused, his smile gone, and looked over at Merlin. Shifting to let his weight rest on one arm, his body turned toward Merlin’s, he rested his free hand besides the Omega’s on his stomach. “If I didn’t go select an Omega, my father would have. I taunted everyone they brought me on purpose, you included. I’ve never cared much for the Omegas who don’t have personalities, so I did what I did as an attempt to get a reaction. You were the only one with enough value in yourself to react, Merlin.

“That’s what I was waiting for. Someone with self-respect. Someone who would make me work to gain their favor. I just… Never expected you to completely shut down on me as soon as we arrived, and then continue to not give me so much as a sideways glance. And I have been trying, Merlin. I want you to fall in love with me and be happy here.”

Arthur stopped there, his expression open and earnest, vulnerable almost in the way he had laid himself bare. There was nothing left to do but wait for a response, and from the way Merlin was staring at him with slightly parted lips, he doubted he’d be getting it anytime soon. “Just… Think about all that,” he finished with, a little lamely, before turning to settle back the way he had been before, looking over the field.

It took a few minutes of awkward silence, but finally something relaxed in Merlin’s chest, whatever it was that had been tightened almost to the point of pain since he had arrived in the castle and been made Arthur’s mate. Ducking his head, he allowed himself a small smile and moved his hand to lie overtop of Arthur’s, squeezing ever so slightly. Not everything was alright, he doubted it ever would be completely, and a large part of him would remain bitter about the lack of choice for a long time. But it was a start, at the very least. He could listen to Arthur a little more, maybe, try and understand that he hadn’t been the only one without a choice in the matter.

“Thank you,” Merlin said, his voice so soft it was little more than a whisper. “Arthur.”

It was the first time he’d called Arthur by his name since his heat.

\---

Things didn’t get better right away, as expected. Much of the time Merlin was still cold and silent, though more from habit than anything else. Every day for three weeks, though, once the sun had warmed the early spring air enough, Merlin would let himself be led out to the training field to sit outside and watch. Normally, Arthur sat with him; it was the only time of the day Merlin really relaxed, especially once he’d extracted a promise to be allowed out more often after the baby was born, and to have free range of the castle grounds and lower town. Knowing Merlin would shut back up in his shell if he was denied, Arthur had grudgingly agreed, though the compromise was that a knight would always accompany Merlin so he would be protected.

While they were outside, Arthur would talk, and Merlin would listen. On more rare occasions, their roles would switch; Merlin would talk of growing up in the stables and how he’d always wanted to be free of them, and Arthur would talk of how growing up as the prince was like a cage that didn’t have a key.

Over three weeks they started to make up for all the time lost and finally got to know each other. After those three weeks, though, Gaius ordered Merlin to bed rest for the remainder of his pregnancy, worried about how the sudden spike in activity would affect the child. Though it irritated him and made him more restless than ever, Merlin stayed in bed, though he did force Arthur stay with him the majority of the time and cater to him, hand and foot. It was only right, since it was Arthur’s fault he was in such a state in the first place.

His sentence to bed rest only lasted a little over a week. Arthur stayed with him the majority of the time, now, and Gaius was already prepared and set up for the birth of Camelot’s next Prince or Princess. As much as he had hated Arthur for so long, Merlin had warmed to him quickly, once he looked past his own anger and paid attention to the Alpha himself. Arthur was devoting and caring, not at all what Merlin had always thought him to be, especially since once he looked it became obvious that it wasn’t just the unborn child Arthur cared for.

The peace between them was interrupted the day the King caught wind of the fact that Arthur had brought his heavily pregnant Omega outside the castle walls. As soon as the door slammed opened and Uther stalked forward, Arthur stood from the bed where he’d been sitting at Merlin’s side and pulled the curtains around the bed closed to shield him, which Merlin was glad for. It was bad enough to hear the King’s fury and know it was partly directed at him, he didn’t want to see the man as well.

Hearing the two yell at each other still took its toll on him, however. He was a bit surprised by how vehemently Arthur defended him, refusing to back down, and he promised himself he’d thank the Alpha for it later.

The King wasn’t quick to back down either, though, and the longer the fight went on the more tense Merlin could feel himself getting. He knew he needed to stay relaxed; Gaius had said that to both him and Arthur on more than one occasion.

It was Gaius that ended the fight, from what Merlin could tell with only his hearing, since the door suddenly opened without warning and the old physician’s voice rang out over both Uther’s and Arthur’s.

“Are you both crazy? Fighting like this in the same room as an Omega that could go into labor at any moment. Uther, it may have been a while since Arthur was born, but surely you remember tending to Ygraine. And Arthur, I’ve told you how many times now that Merlin needs to stay relaxed? You both ought to know better than this.”

Merlin didn’t think he’d ever been more grateful to Gaius than he was then, especially considering both Alphas had shut up. There was a few beats of tense silence, before a shifting of fabric, and someone sighed.

“Sire, with all due respect, I have to ask you to leave. I need to check on Merlin, and your presence here will not do him any good.” Gaius continued, and after a murmured agreement, the door opened and closed again.

Thankful that the King was gone, Merlin relaxed back onto the pillows, panting slightly. He hadn’t realized just how worked up he’d gotten until now, and with the quiet restored, he noticed small pains shooting through his stomach. When the curtains were pulled back he smiled lightly up at Gaius, noting Arthur hovering behind him, expression worried.

“How are you feeling, my boy?” Gaius asked, leaning down to press two fingers against the pulse point in Merlin’s neck and frowning when it was faster than it should have been.

“A little uptight,” Merlin answered honestly, flinching at another quick wave a pain coursing through his stomach and further down. “And, ah, in a little bit of pain.”

Obviously that was not what Gaius had been hoping to hear, as his frown deepened and he scowled at Arthur over his shoulder. “If I were you, Arthur, I’d be hoping these are false contractions.”

“False,” Arthur started before paling considerably, and Merlin couldn’t help but chuckle at little at him. 

“But isn’t it time anyway?”

“If you and your father had not been in here yelling, then yes, this would be welcome,” Gaius snapped, cutting off Merlin’s quiet laugh. “But you were, and I imagine this is a result of that. If that’s what has sent him into labor, it’s likely to be harder on him than it would have been otherwise. Now, Arthur, make yourself useful and go ask Morgana if I can borrow her handmaiden for the night, and then find something else to occupy you until someone else comes and fetches you back.”

Merlin had expected that, known it would be coming, but obviously Arthur hadn’t, since he bristled immediately. “You’re kicking me out of my own chambers? Now? But I should be here-”

“Bad luck,” Merlin cut in with a small shake of his head and what he hoped was a reassuring smile. “Everyone knows having the father in the room is bad, Arthur. Makes it more likely either the mother or child will be harmed. So do as Gaius says. I’ll be fine.”

Though he was obviously reluctant, Arthur ran his fingers through Merlin’s hair and leaned down to kiss his forehead, then left.

As it turned out, they weren’t false contractions. Merlin had no idea what Arthur did with himself for the night, but despite the fact that he had been the one to send the Alpha away and that he still wasn’t entirely comfortable in his place with the prince, he found himself calling out for him anyway. It was nothing he could help, focused more on the pain than anything else.

By the time morning rolled around, he was sure he’d sworn off ever having another child more than he’d said anything else. When something small and warm and soft was placed in his arms, though, all that went out the window. Merlin’s questions of where Arthur had been all night were answered just a few moments later when Gaius stepped out of the room. It wasn’t a moment later there was a bout of laughter obviously from Arthur, and then after that, a frustrated noise. As Gaius returned still alone, he realized it must have been because Arthur wasn’t yet allowed back in. Why, Merlin wasn’t entirely sure, but he found he really didn’t mind. It would give him some quiet time alone with the baby, or as alone as he could get with Gwen nearby and Gaius hovering.

“I had hoped it would be a girl,” Merlin eventually said, the babe nursing quietly. That had been the strangest part of his pregnancy, getting used to the weight on his chest as he developed small breasts to suckle the baby. Looking down at the little girl now, though, it made it more than worth it to be able to nurse her himself, rather than using a wet nurse or a bottle. Gaius shuffled over at the comment, sitting on the edge of the bed.

“I admit, I did not expect it to be a girl,” he said, his gaze fond. “It means many good things, Merlin.” It meant that Merlin’s father, the Dragon Lord Balinor, was still alive, and that the ability to command dragons had not yet passed on to his son. When that time did come, any children from Merlin would be boys.

“What do you mean?” Merlin asked, his brow furrowed, and the question drew Gaius from his thoughts.

“Nothing you need to worry about now, my boy,” he answered, shaking his head and patting Merlin’s knee. “There will come a time, but for now, it’s best you not worry about it and enjoy your new child. Arthur has been trying to claw the door down since yesterday evening, however. Shall I allow him in?” There was a light amusement in Gaius’ gaze at that, and it pulled a quiet chuckle from Merlin as well, despite his exhaustion.

“May as well let him in,” he agreed, letting his gaze drift back to the baby. “This little one doesn’t belong entirely to me after all, as much as I may want her to.”

“You know, Merlin, if you give him a chance, Arthur will be very good to you. That boy has a heart of gold underneath all the masks he wears, and he wants nothing more than for someone to love him. Sadly, it’s something he’s never really had.” Gaius’ voice was quiet as he spoke, moving around the bedchamber and picking up, preparing to head back to his own chambers. With both Merlin and the baby healthy, there was no reason for him to stay any longer.

Swallowing thickly as he listened, Merlin kept his gaze on the babe. “I make no promises, Gaius,” he said at length, his voice a little scratchy. “But I will try.”

“That’s all I’m asking,” Gaius said with a small smile. “Now, I’ll let him in. Rest. You need it after all that.”

“Of course,” Merlin answered with a returned smile, watching as the old physician nodded to him and gathered the last of his supplies, Gwen with her arms also full and a step behind him, filed out of Arthur’s chambers.

For a few moments, Merlin was completely alone with the baby. Letting his eyes close and head fall back against the pillows, he took a deep breath, focusing on the weight of the babe on his chest as he breathed out slowly. Maybe being Arthur’s mate wouldn’t be so bad. If he was allowed to go outside, like Arthur had promised, it might not be bad at all. He could be pampered, never worry about the quality of the food he was eating, have the best of everything for his children. If along the way he managed to fall in love, well, he didn’t think he’d be complaining. That was what he’d wanted all along.  
Lost in thought, Merlin didn’t realize anyone was approaching until the bed at his side sunk down. Opening his eyes, he looked over and couldn’t help but smile at Arthur, who had lain down at his side. “Hi,” he said quietly, and then because that seemed too… Gentle, added on, “Finally let you in, did they?”

“Very funny, Merlin,” Arthur said, and though there was a faint chuckle in his voice, it was greatly overshadowed by the pure awe. “Gaius told me that Camelot can celebrate the birth of a princess.”

“That she can,” Merlin confirmed quietly, his gaze snapping back to the baby, who had finished nursing and fallen asleep sometime in the last few minutes.

There was quiet for a few minutes, Arthur obviously holding himself back from touching either Merlin or the child, and it was only broken by Merlin’s sudden yawn. “Where’s the cradle?” he asked, casting his gaze around. He wanted it moved over to the side of the bed so he could stay close while he slept. “I’m falling asleep.”

“Here, just let me take her,” Arthur offer, though he still hesitated until Merlin nodded his approval. While he looked on, Arthur sat up just enough to shift the baby into his arms and lay back down with the little body snug in the crook of his arm, half lying on his chest. Merlin kept awake for a few moments, just long enough to know that everything was alright, before he settled back down with a quiet sigh. It was a little uncomfortable to move, but he turned onto his side to face Arthur, sick of being on his back.

When he was half asleep, something pulled him back towards being awake. Opening his eyes a little, Merlin realized his head was no longer on a pillow, but Arthur’s shoulder, and the Alpha’s arm was curled around his back, hand settled on his waist. Pleasantly surprised, he shifted a little closer, breathing in Arthur’s scent and letting it wash over him.

“We can make this work, yeah?” he heard quietly, and let his eyes slip closed again, both Arthur’s scent and the knowledge that his baby was easily within reach doing wonders to help him relax entirely. Too tired to bother forming words, he merely hummed in confirmation. “You think you can be happy here, with me? Think that maybe, somewhere down the line, you can love me?” That deserved a verbal response, Merlin decided, pressing close against Arthur and opening his eyes just enough to look up at him.

“I think we can manage that.”

**Author's Note:**

> For those of you who are curious, there very well may be a sequel to this in the future. I would rather like to tell Arthur's side of the tale, as well as expand it a little into the future past this, to see whether or not things do get better for them. It may be a while, though, since I have other plans that must be completed before I get started on this again!


End file.
